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James Hosmer

Birth
Hawkhurst, Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, England
Death
7 Feb 1685 (aged 79)
Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
Burial
Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA Add to Map
Plot
Not buried in Sleepy Hollow where the first burial was 1823, nearly 140 years after James died.
Memorial ID
View Source
Baptized Hawkhurst, Kent, 8 December 1605, son of Stephen Hosmer and his wife Dorothy Selden. Clothier from Hawkhurst, Kent who came to Massachusetts Bay in 1635 on the "Elizabeth." (On 9 April 1635, "James Hosmer," clothier, aged 28, with "wife & 2 children," "Ann Hosmer," aged 27, "Marie Hosmer," aged 2, and "Ann Hossmer," aged 3 months, and "maidservants Marie Donnard," aged 24, and "Marie Martin," aged 19, with a certificate of conformity "from the minister of Hauckust in Kent," were enrolled at London as passengers for New England on the Elizabeth). First settled in Cambridge; moved to Concord in 1637. Died in Concord 7 February 1685[/6?].
MARRIAGES: (1) By about 1633 Ann _____. She sailed for New England with her husband and two daughters in 1635, but she probably died aboard ship or soon after arrival in New England, as she is seen in no further records.
(2) By about 1637 Mary _____. She was buried at Concord on 11 May 1641.
(3) By 1642 Alice _____. She died at Concord on 3 March 1664/5. (In this record, the decedent's name is given as "Elinne," almost certainly a misreading of "Alice" in the original.
James Hosmer was brother of THOMAS HOSMER {1633, Cambridge}. Through their mother, Dorothy (Selden) Hosmer, these two brothers were uncles of THOMAS SELDEN {1639, Hartford}.

James was born in Hawkhurst, Kent, England and baptised there on December 8, 1605, the son of Stephen Hosmer and Dorothy Selden. He sailed from London on the "Elizabeth", bound for Boston, on April 9, 1635. With him was his first wife, Ann, whose family name is unknown, two daughters, Marie and Ann, and two maidservants. James was a clothier and their destination was Cambridge, Massachusetts. James was given two acres of land there and recorded as a freeman on May 17, 1637. His wife and daughters died, probably during the first winter after they arrived.

James' second wife was named Mary. Her family name is also unknown. They were probably married in Cambridge. James sold his land in Cambridge to Edward Winship and took up residence in Concord, Massachusetts on September 21, 1639. He was given four lots containing 164 acres, and settled on a farm east of and bordering the Assabet River, near the Groton Road. He remained in Concord for the rest of his life. With his second wife Mary he had two children, James and Mary. James grew to be an adult, but was killed in King Philip's War. Mary died before she was three. James' second wife Mary died in Concord and was buried on May 11, 1641.

James then took a third wife, Alice. The family name of Alice is not known. They must have been married in late 1641. James had three more children with Alice; Stephen, Hannah and Mary. Stephen and Hannah lived to have their own children, but Mary must have died young. Life was hard in Colonial America. Two of James' three wives and five of his seven children died as infants or young adults.

James assisted in the "laying out" of the grants of farmland in Concord, and was a selectman in 1660. Neither the record of the marriage, nor the family name of any of James' wives has ever been discovered. James' third wife, Alice, died in Concord on March 3, 1664-5, James died there on February 7, 1685.
Baptized Hawkhurst, Kent, 8 December 1605, son of Stephen Hosmer and his wife Dorothy Selden. Clothier from Hawkhurst, Kent who came to Massachusetts Bay in 1635 on the "Elizabeth." (On 9 April 1635, "James Hosmer," clothier, aged 28, with "wife & 2 children," "Ann Hosmer," aged 27, "Marie Hosmer," aged 2, and "Ann Hossmer," aged 3 months, and "maidservants Marie Donnard," aged 24, and "Marie Martin," aged 19, with a certificate of conformity "from the minister of Hauckust in Kent," were enrolled at London as passengers for New England on the Elizabeth). First settled in Cambridge; moved to Concord in 1637. Died in Concord 7 February 1685[/6?].
MARRIAGES: (1) By about 1633 Ann _____. She sailed for New England with her husband and two daughters in 1635, but she probably died aboard ship or soon after arrival in New England, as she is seen in no further records.
(2) By about 1637 Mary _____. She was buried at Concord on 11 May 1641.
(3) By 1642 Alice _____. She died at Concord on 3 March 1664/5. (In this record, the decedent's name is given as "Elinne," almost certainly a misreading of "Alice" in the original.
James Hosmer was brother of THOMAS HOSMER {1633, Cambridge}. Through their mother, Dorothy (Selden) Hosmer, these two brothers were uncles of THOMAS SELDEN {1639, Hartford}.

James was born in Hawkhurst, Kent, England and baptised there on December 8, 1605, the son of Stephen Hosmer and Dorothy Selden. He sailed from London on the "Elizabeth", bound for Boston, on April 9, 1635. With him was his first wife, Ann, whose family name is unknown, two daughters, Marie and Ann, and two maidservants. James was a clothier and their destination was Cambridge, Massachusetts. James was given two acres of land there and recorded as a freeman on May 17, 1637. His wife and daughters died, probably during the first winter after they arrived.

James' second wife was named Mary. Her family name is also unknown. They were probably married in Cambridge. James sold his land in Cambridge to Edward Winship and took up residence in Concord, Massachusetts on September 21, 1639. He was given four lots containing 164 acres, and settled on a farm east of and bordering the Assabet River, near the Groton Road. He remained in Concord for the rest of his life. With his second wife Mary he had two children, James and Mary. James grew to be an adult, but was killed in King Philip's War. Mary died before she was three. James' second wife Mary died in Concord and was buried on May 11, 1641.

James then took a third wife, Alice. The family name of Alice is not known. They must have been married in late 1641. James had three more children with Alice; Stephen, Hannah and Mary. Stephen and Hannah lived to have their own children, but Mary must have died young. Life was hard in Colonial America. Two of James' three wives and five of his seven children died as infants or young adults.

James assisted in the "laying out" of the grants of farmland in Concord, and was a selectman in 1660. Neither the record of the marriage, nor the family name of any of James' wives has ever been discovered. James' third wife, Alice, died in Concord on March 3, 1664-5, James died there on February 7, 1685.


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